Plummet
by spidermonkey321
Summary: What do you hold on to when in a matter of one breath, one tiny second, everything around you plummets to the ground?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! Here I am again. I'm sorry it's been so long since I last posted anything, but am I back on the saddle and ready to fully commit to my writing. I want to thank every one of you who took the time to check on me and send me wonderful words of support. Being part of this fandom is the best thing that could ever happen to me, you guys are amazing!**

 **Now, this story is loosely based on the events that happened in Minnesota on August 1, 2007 where the I-35 bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River. Please note I said 'loosely' meaning not everything that happens in the story happened in real life. In fact most of it is fiction. Also, while I did my best to do medical research through WebMd and Google, I am not a doctor nor a paramedic, so some of the medical treatment depicted in here may not be one hundred percent accurate. Its fiction, so please remember everything is possible**

 **This story is also intense, so if you don't handle suspense well, this may not be a good read for you.**

 **I'd like to thank Sarcastic Bimbo and Tita Ritter for helping me pre read and beta this story. Most importantly, I thank them both for their undying support and patience. It is because of them I was able to write again, after a two year break. Sarcastic Bimbo is also responsible for the amazing songs used in this story. She blew me away with her choices and I hope you love them too**

 **Now, put on your seatbelts and enjoy the ride!**

"Standstill. Complete and utter standstill. Fuck. My. Life." Bella muttered angrily.

She hated traffic with passion, but even more when she had to be somewhere. Normally, she would have left her house an hour before she had to arrive at the university, but she hadn't seen Charlie in a few days due to his never ending workload, so she decided to spend some quality time with him. That decision wouldn't have been so bad if a semi-truck hadn't crashed in the middle of the I-35 bridge, but alas, her luck had never been the best. So she sat, anxiously waiting for a miracle that would clear the road in front of her.

The sun was beginning to set, but that did not assuage the scorching heat of summer. Normally, she liked to enjoy driving with her windows open, but the heat and the fumes of the semi-truck parked in front of her made her close her window and turn on her AC at full blast. She thanked God for small miracles when she noticed that Charlie had filled up her tank the previous night, knowing Bella's tendency to wait until the car was clanking and sputtering before she ever stopped at a gas station.

She tried to get distracted from the fact that her class was now starting by watching the water flow below her. With the sun setting, the water had turned a soft green and she could see little ripples of the small current from her position. She found the water to be oddly calming to her nerves and was beginning to relax when the hard notes of an electric guitar pulled her out of her nirvana, grating on each and every one of her already frazzled nerves.

"Fucking hell!" she snapped, before turning to the other side, fully intending to give the Lenny Kravitz wannabe a piece of her mind, or at the very least, her best version of the evil eye. However, all the breath left her body and her eyes could do nothing but stare almost lasciviously at the very fine specimen of the male kind that was currently drumming his fingers on the steering wheel of a fuck hot Camaro.

The man was beautiful. There was no other way to say it. He had a perfectly chiseled jaw, that was covered with a day old stubble, that gave him a bad boy look. His hair was a messy mop of coppery strands that fell right above the most intriguing green eyes she had ever gazed upon. They were a deep emerald, and they were currently shining with mirth as they looked back at her.

They were looking back at her. That realization startled Bella out of her stupor, and she blushed furiously when she realized he had caught her gawking at him. She tried to sink back into her seat and pretend the earth had swallowed her whole, but Mr. Adonis had a different idea.

He revved his engine, and when that failed to get Bella out from behind the curtain of her mahogany hair, the sexy bastard blew his horn, scaring her and making everyone around them look up. Bella chanced a small peek and found Adonis smirking at her, making her blush even more. He suddenly got distracted with his car stereo, breaking the spell Bella had fallen under while he smiled happily at her.

"Get it together, Bella," she chastised herself.

She took a couple of deep breaths and was ready to focus her attention to her phone when the heavy notes of Lenny Kravitz _Are You Gonna Go My Way_ morphed into the crazy notes of Jet's _Are You Gonna Be My Girl?_

Bella almost gave herself a whiplash with how fast her head turned back to Mr. Adonis, only to find him singing the lyrics to her.

Starstruck.

That was the only word that came to her mind, except he wasn't a star, but she was indeed struck by him. She lowered her head once again, while trying to process whether or not she had fallen asleep and was suddenly dreaming the fact that the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on was flirting with her.

"Don't be a coward," she told herself before she squared her shoulders and looked straight back at him. He kept smiling at her as he belted out the lyrics toward her.

 _So 1, 2, 3, take my hand and come with me_

 _because you look so fine_

 _and I really wanna make you mine._

 _I say you look so fine_

 _that I really wanna make you mine._

 _Oh, 4,5,6 c'mon and get your kicks_

 _now you don't need that money_

 _when you look like that, do ya honey._

 _Big black boots,_

 _long brown hair,_

 _she's so sweet_

 _with her get back stare._

Bella's heart jumped in her chest while the biggest smile she had ever smiled graced her face. She nodded her head at him, letting him know she was game for whatever he wanted. She felt bold enough to fluff her hair in a teasing manner and bit her lip in a way she hoped looked sexy. Apparently she succeeded because Adonis made a gesture that signaled an arrow hitting his heart and him falling backwards, making Bella laugh at his bad theatrics.

He then reached out to his stereo and soon the funky notes of Grand Funk Railroad's Some Kind of Wonderful started playing.

I don't need a whole lots of money,

I don't need a big fine car.

I got everything that a man could want,

I got more than I could ask for.

I don't have to run around,

I don't have to stay out all night.

'Cause I got me a sweet... a sweet, lovin' woman,

And she knows just how to treat me right.

Well my baby, she's alright,

Well my baby, she's clean out-of-sight.

Don't you know that she's... she's some kind of wonderful.

She's some kind of wonderful... yes she is, she's,

She's some kind of wonderful, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahhh...

Bella laughed again as the man sang heartily, winking at her from time to time as the song played. She was dancing to the beat in her seat and even singing along, thankful that her locked window kept him from hearing her terrible singing voice, when she felt her car shake, followed by a deafening cracking noise. She turned around to look at her Adonis, hoping to find an explanation to what was going on, only to watch in horror as his car plunged to the river below, as the pavement beneath him crumbled like an old cookie. Half a second later it was her turn to fall 60 feet into the water.

She felt herself being jostled and turned as gravity pushed her against her seatbelt. In the next second she felt the impact of her car hitting the water, pushing her violently against the seat. A sharp pain tore through her shoulder before she felt the impact of something really heavy somewhere above her, making her hit her head violently against the wheel. She heard glass shattering around her, and she felt oddly cold. The next thing she saw was a huge piece of concrete crashing against water… right next to her?

Before she had time to realize what that could possibly mean, blackness overtook her.

It took Edward about thirty-seven seconds to register what was happening. Another forty-four seconds to convince himself that it was, in fact, happening, and he was not having a nightmare, and about eight more to react to the immense pain radiating from his right leg. During that time he had become aware of the fact that the I-35 bridge he was on had somehow disintegrated below him, and that he was now trapped inside his mangled car that sat precariously on top of a piece of concrete that was halfway below water.

"Are you okay in there?" he heard a man say.

The sarcastic side of him wanted to reply 'just peachy,' but his brain quickly caught up to the gravity of the situation, and he had to force himself to consider the question. Was he okay?

Remembering the "level of pain" chart his father had in his office, he took an experimental deep breath and was relieved to realize he could do that with only a pain level of two. He even imagined the mildly frowning stick figure in the chart. He moved his hands, opening and closing them, and was thankful to realize they were both functioning. He then decided he could not put it off any longer and tried to move his legs. He started with the left one, knowing very well that was the cowardly way, but not giving a damn. That leg only had a pain level of four, earning it a more severe looking stick figure. Looking at the blood coming out of it, he deduced that culprits were the many pieces of glass sticking out of it.

Then he moved his right leg.

The stick figure showed him its middle finger and told him to fuck himself with a rusty knife.

It hurt like a fucking bitch.

"Dude, you need to get out of there. Let me help you." The same man told him before attempting to open his door, only to find out he couldn't.

"Dammit," the man muttered.

"My leg is fucked up. I think the gas pedal is stuck through my foot. I can't move it," Edward replied, trying to breathe through the pain.

"Your car is leaking gasoline, and there is one car on fire beside you. We landed on a piece of concrete near the embankment so the water ain't deep. We need to get you out of here and swim to the riverside before your car blows up and turns us into crisp."

"Are the people from the other car…?"

"I got there too late to help them," the man cut him off sharply, the tightening of his jaw the only outward sign of his distress.

The image of his beautiful brunette hit him like lightening. One minute she was laughing at his antics, and the next her face was full of confusion as Edward plunged into the river below. He had no idea what had happened to her, but he was damned if he wasn't going to find out. She had to be alive. He had survived, right? So did this other guy. So far, there were two out of three chances that she was alive, and he was going to find her. Pain be damned.

"Pull me out through the window," Edward commanded.

"My name is Jasper, by the way," the man said as he put every ounce of power into pulling Edward out of the mangled car, while trying very hard to ignore the bone-chilling screams of agony caused by metal ripping through skin and muscle as he did so.

Alice knew she was in trouble. The fact that her car was lying in the middle of a river was the first sign, never mind the fact that she had always been terrified of water. She was three years old when she fell into her neighbor's pool and almost drowned. Had it not been for the incessant barking of the family's dog getting the attention of her mother, Alice would not have survived. Since then, she had suffered terrifying nightmares of being surrounded by dark waters that threatened to take her life… sort of like what was actually happening to her at that very moment.

As a therapist, she knew that her fear was irrational. Since the age of ten she had fought through the panic and learned how to swim, in order to feel more secure against the possibility of drowning. However, rational or not, she found herself paralyzed by fear inside a rapidly flooding car. Her mind screamed at her to move, to listen to her instinct and try to get out of there, but her body wouldn't listen. In a desperate attempt to pull her out of her stupor, her mind decided to pull the big guns and played the image of the one person who would make her conquer her fear and fight for her survival.

Jimmy.

In a matter of milliseconds, Alice relived each and every memory of him. From the moment she found out she was pregnant at seventeen to the memory of his sleepy face as he bid her goodbye that morning as she left to work. Every struggle, every tear, every slobbery kiss and every tantrum over video game time flashed through her mind as the water began to reach her chest.

Her mind won.

Alice forgot all about her fear of water when a new dread began to take over. The panic of not seeing her son again made her search for the seat belt clip desperately and yank with all her might when it wouldn't budge. Luckily, it cooperated and soon she was swimming through what had been her window at some point.

It took her less time than she expected to reach the surface and eventually the edge of the river, but when she did, she realized she was one of the few lucky ones. No matter where she looked she was surrounded by concrete, debris and a hell of a lot of cars turned upside down. Some were lying on the embankment, others were in the water and some like her, were laying somewhere in between. She knew that, like her, the people in those cars could still be alive and merely trapped by their seatbelts or injured. She knew that there was no way she could ever face her son knowing she didn't at least try to help, regardless of the fact that she was terrified and most likely in shock.

Without further thoughts, she took a deep breath and walked back into the water.

"We are almost there, buddy," Jasper grunted as he dragged Edward toward the riverside.

"I have to find her. You have to help me," Edward replied, trying his best to dig in his one good heel.

Jasper sighed. Edward had been talking non-stop about saving some girl he had been flirting with right before the collapse. At first he thought Edward was in shock or trying to distract himself from the agonizing pain he must had been in, but apparently Edward meant it. He wanted to look for some random girl he had never even met instead of looking for a way to back to safety.

"Look around you, man. There's no way we can find her. Don't you realize what happened? Has the loss of blood affected that pretty head of yours? We are in deep shit. We just fell what felt like hundreds of feet into a fucking river. I don't know about you, but I have a set of parents in Texas who would be very sad if I didn't come back home for Christmas. So excuse me for trying to get our asses back to safety instead of playing super hero."

"I understand, Jasper, but I'm doing this with or without your help. She must be terrified, I can't leave her."

"Have you lost your fucking mind? You don't even know her fucking name, and you want us to jump into the fucking water and look for her? Never mind the fact that I just pulled you out of a fucking death trap, and your foot is basically torn to fucking shreds! You need medical attention, and I need to go home. End of discussion," Jasper gritted as he pulled Edward a little more forcibly toward the riverside.

"Please, Jasper, I need to find her," Edward implored.

"Look, dude, let's get to the riverside, and then we can see from there. There are a lot of people there, maybe she's one of them."

"She was right next to me, Jasper, and the bridge cracked right between our vehicles. She must have fallen over there where all of those cars are lying upside down. She could be trapped. I can't go home and leave her here."

"I don't get it, man. Why is she so important? You don't even know her! I mean, I get it that she must have been a looker, but is she worth risking your life? How do you know she isn't a whore or a cheater or that she has bad breath? I mean, I know your dad is a doctor and therefore you knew how to do some voodoo shit on your foot to help slow the bleeding, but I think that we both know that's not gonna last long, and you will eventually bleed to death or your foot will die and fall off. . . and for what? For a chance to find a girl you don't even know? Are you really that dumb?"

By this point, Edward had completely stopped cooperating with Jasper, and both of them were standing on the concrete between the burning vehicles and the embankment. He knew Jasper's argument was logical and that he should be listening to him and accepting his help back to safety.

Back to his parents and medical school.

Back to his friends and his dog Max.

Back to his content, yet lonely existence… without her. Without those brown eyes that captivated him from the moment he caught them lusting after him. Without that shy smile that spoke of a hundred secrets. Without those blushing cheeks that spoke of candid fervor and hidden innocence.

No, he wasn't going back. He was going to find her, no matter what it cost him.

"I guess I am," he replied, right before he dove into the water.

"Damn you to the pits of hell," Jasper muttered.

Right before he dove after him.

As Alice waded through the water in search for survivors, she came across a Honda Civic that lay upside down on top of the embankment floor. A heavy piece of concrete had fallen on top of the hood, breaking the windshield and causing the water to seep into the front of the car.

A pretty brunette was hanging from her seat belt, apparently unaware of the fact that she was minutes away from drowning, unless Alice could find a way to get her out of there, and soon.

Due to the slope of the embankment, Alice knew the quickest way to the driver side was to swim around the front of the car. A fact that made her panic flare, but she quickly squished it down to the bottom of her belly, took a deep breath and lurched into the water, swimming around the concrete piece that was crushing the hood and finding the driver side. Luckily, all the windows were blown out from the impact, so she was able to reach the seat belt clip quite easily. Unfortunately, she wasn't as lucky at pulling it open as she had been with her own, and the damn thing was stuck. No matter how hard she yanked, the seat belt would not budge, and the water level was getting dangerously close to the brunette's head.

She didn't have much time.

She needed help.

At that moment she had to make the decision, whether to keep trying until there was no more use, or leave the unconscious girl alone while she looked for someone to help, knowing that most likely it would be too late by the time she came back.

Thinking of her son, she decided that if it would have been her instead of the brunette, she would have wanted for the person saving her to look for help, to exhaust every possibility to bring her back to Jimmy.

"I'll get you home, girl. I promise. I'll do everything I can to get you home to your loved ones," Alice vowed as she kissed the brunette's hand and dove back into the water.

Edward swam the best he could among the many cars in the river. He tried to use every ounce of physics knowledge he had to guess where his brunette's car had landed in relation to his own car. It was a stupid thought, since he had no idea what had caused the collapse of the bridge, nor had he studied physics since high school. But hope is a stubborn bitch, and it clings to any possible scenario, no matter how illogical it may be.

Jasper, on the other hand, grew more desolate the more he swam among the wreckage. Edward had decided to swim deeper into the river, in order to avoid the debris that lay closer to the edge. That included the many, many cars that lay there, too. Some of them were half submerged in the water, others in flames, many others bent into unrecognizable pieces of metal, and who knew how many more were lain at the bottom of the river, right below them as they swam.

Since Edward had the blessing, or the curse, of being fucking crazy, and obsessed with finding his damsel in distress, he wasn't really paying much attention to the carnage that surrounded them, but Jasper had no such luck. All he kept thinking about were the many people who were probably waiting for their loved ones and would never see them again. When he saw the yellow top of a school bus peeking through the water surface, he lost the fight against the heartbreak and for the first time since he was seven years old, he cried real tears.

Not the tears of a drunken boy crying for unrequited teenage love, or the tears cried after a loss of a game. Those tears were the tears of grief. The same tears he cried when his best friend accidentally shot his sister Maria while Jasper was laying in bed with the stomach flu.

As his tears fell into the water, he raised his head to the sky for the first time since that horrible day when he begged God to save his little sister.

"Please, help us," he begged, not only for his sake and Edward's, but for the sake of all those who were going to suffer from such horrible trial.

Alice made it back to the embankment but found that most people who would have been able to help her, had gone inland, searching for safety. After all, it is a natural instinct to search for higher ground.

An instinct she apparently didn't possess, she thought dryly as she desperately searched for someone who could help her.

A flash of bronze in the water caught her eye, and she soon realized it was a guy swimming in the river. It took her a minute to realize that he wasn't swimming toward the edge. Rather, he was swimming east against the current. It made absolutely no sense whatsoever, much less when she saw another guy following him. Deciding that a couple of crazy guys were a better option than no guys at all, she jumped into the water and began to frantically call for their attention.

Bronze hair seemed to be deaf. No matter how hard she screamed, he didn't turn around to pay attention. Even though she was kind of far, she knew they could hear her, but he just kept swimming. The blond guy behind him, however, did turn and soon grabbed the other guy and forced him to stop.

"Please, help me! There's a girl trapped in her car and the water is rising. If we don't get her out of there, she is going to drown. Her seat belt is stuck and I've tried to get it out, but I can't. I can't!" Alice sobbed, finally letting the desperation seep into her soul.

"Hush, sugar, don't cry. Just lead the way, and we will help," Jasper said, willing Edward to follow.

Alice's tears awoke Edward from his brunette-minded haze, and he realized there was no way he could not help. He would never be able to live in peace knowing he could have saved a person and chose not to, regardless of the reason why. So, he followed after Jasper and Alice, begging God to have mercy and keep his pretty girl safe until he could find her.

A few minutes later, he realized that he should have been more specific.

Turns out, his girl was at least alive until he found her, but once he did, she didn't have much longer.

She was hanging upside down in car filled up with water that reached her forehead. Once he realized the girl in trouble was his girl, the haze came back, and he was able to forget about his pain, about the smell of blood, about his parents or anything non-related to the pretty girl in danger of drowning in front of him.

His first instinct was to try to yank the seat belt out with all his might. However, no amount of adrenaline could make up for the fact that he had lost a lot of blood, therefore his strength wasn't at its best.

"Fuck," he cursed as he grabbed his girl's head and tenderly bent it forward to keep it out of the water, while Jasper tried first to yank the seatbelt off and later attempted to cut it with a tiny Swiss Army knife key chain his mother had given him for Christmas.

Five minutes later, Jasper's knife had only cut about one third of the thick seat belt strap, and Edward was running out of space to keep his girl's face out of the water.

"Fuck, Jasper, we don't have a lot of time left. I can't keep her out of the water much longer. Please, hurry!" Edward yelled from the inside of the car.

Jasper knew better than to voice his fear out loud, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to get the girl out before the car flooded entirely. He could tell that Alice had figured just as much by the size of her tears. The only problem was getting Edward to understand it.

A normal person would have left Edward to his own devices since he was trapped in a gas leaking death trap next to a burning fire, but Jasper was apparently not normal. He knew the kid probably had parents and perhaps even siblings that needed him and would be devastated at his loss. Knowing first-hand what it was like to lose someone you loved so much, he didn't think twice about saving him.

After Edward jumped in the water, Jasper was assaulted by the memory of his mother as she cried over Maria's dead body. He remembered how she had refused to let go of her casket during the wake, and how his father had to physically restrain her in order to stop her from jumping into the hole where his little sister had been laid to rest. Then he thought of Edward's mom and wondered if he got his determination from her. He knew that if such was the case, his death will surely be the end of her, just like losing Maria was the end of his mother. Sure she was alive and breathing, she tried to smile and took solace in her church, but her soul had died right along with his sister. Photography had been her biggest passion, but after that day she never touched a camera again. The usually good humored beauty stopped playing pranks on his dad or watching funny shows. There was no point. She never laughed again. There simply was no trace of the woman she had been before Maria died. Jasper refused to let anyone else watch their mom go through such loss and jumped after Edward.

"Edward, I can't cut this. You need to get out of there, man. We have to find more help," he explained, keeping his voice even, in order to ensure Edward would not catch the lie behind it. There was no way to save her.

"I'm not leaving. I have to get her out of here!" Edward yelled, tilting his head upwards to keep the water out of his mouth.

Alice had gone back to the riverside hoping to find either more help or something else to cut the belt strap with. She was screaming, trying to get attention from someone as she walked toward the land. Once she made it past the greenery and into the street, she encountered a sight that confronted her with the magnitude of the tragedy.

There were dozens of people gathered there, some of them seriously injured, others in shock and many others just screaming in panic. She saw elderly people, teenagers and even a toddler. All with bloody faces and broken bones. The few paramedics and police officers that had arrived were not enough to help.

She hastened her steps and approached a police officer who was helping an injured woman.

"Officer, please, I need help. There's a woman trapped in a car down by the river. Her seat belt is stuck, and she is unconscious. Two guys are trying to help, but it's impossible. Please, help us!"

"Help is on the way, ma'am. The collapse has caused all traffic to stand still, and emergency vehicles are having a hard time getting through, but I assure you we are doing all we can. There will be emergency boats, and the choppers are already on the way."

"There's no time! Please, help! She is going to drown!" Alice screeched, her panic beginning to take over again.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I have my hands full at the moment. If I leave now, this woman will bleed to death."

It was only then that Alice realized the cop was working on the woman's leg, or what was left of it.

It was right at that moment that the truth hit Alice like a ton of bricks. Every person there was hurting and a lot of them were dying. The few people who, like her, had survived were busy trying to save them. The life of the girl in the river wasn't any more important than the life of the woman laying on the ground in front of her. There simply was no way she could force someone to give up one life to save another. She was out of her depth, and the realization made her scream in anger. It was too much, and all of it was unfair. She sobbed desperately as she kneeled on the still warm concrete, and for the first time since she realized she had fallen in the water, she let the pain overtake her.

The sound of helicopters and sirens barely drowned her desolated screams.

Jasper yanked and pulled with all his might. He decided not to argue with Edward. He would just pull him out of the flooded car when it was time for both of them to give up.

Now was not the time.

' _Please! Please!'_ He kept begging in his head. He had not given up on God yet either.

"I'm going to take you out on a date. Once this is over, I'm going to take you somewhere nice and show you off. You are beautiful, you know that? I bet you have lots of guys after you. Too fucking bad, because I'm going to steal you away. We are going to go to the park on Sundays, and we'll read poetry while lying in the sun. I'm too cold right now, but I promise you I'll keep you warm during the winter, and I'll find the prettiest flowers for you in the spring." Edward said, looking at the woman in front of him.

Weakness like he never felt before was pulling at him, but he knew he had to keep fighting. The only reason the girl was still alive was because he was holding her upper body up and keeping her head above the water, and he wasn't about to let her die. His body felt cold, and he knew it was due to the blood loss. He also knew he didn't have much time before the choice of not giving up was taken away from him, but he was determined to fight for the life of the girl and his own. He refused to allow any thoughts of failure into his head, or even begin to consider the option of having to leave her behind to save his own life. In Edward's mind, failure was not an option.

Emmett had been at the gym when he saw the news of what had happened. It was his day off, but he didn't think twice before heading back to his car to get his 'back up' uniform and backpack, and taking off running toward the site of the tragedy. He knew that Emergency vehicles were going to have a huge problem getting through the traffic, and that it would take time for the choppers and boats to be ready.

As a paramedic, he knew that time was the difference between life and death, so he pushed his massive frame harder.

Nothing had prepared him for the chaos he encountered. The number of victims was staggering. He had been ready to dive in, to do what he could with his limited resources when he heard the hoarse voice of a woman screaming. He found it odd that such a tiny thing had a strong enough voice to stand out among the many other screams and laments around him, so he made his way to her.

"She's drowning, and it's my fault. I can't get her out. Please, God, forgive me! She's dying!"

He could tell the woman was amidst a panic attack, and he really couldn't blame her. She was shivering, and there were some superficial cuts on her body, especially on her feet, but he couldn't see any severe injuries. Her words bothered him though. It was obvious that she knew someone was trapped in their vehicle, and he wanted to help.

"Hello," he said, flashing her his most disarming smile, complete with dimples.

At first, she didn't respond, and only kept sobbing and repeating her desperate mantra. So Emmett kneeled down and pulled an ice pack from his backpack, knowing the shock of temperature would help her snap out of it.

Luckily, the trick worked, and her eyes finally focused on him.

"I left them there. We couldn't get her out, so the guys were trying to save her. The bronze-haired guy was really hurt, but he wouldn't leave her, and I did. I'm so sorry!" She sobbed as she engulfed him in a hug.

Emmett felt bad for her and did his best to reassure her with his hug.

"It's not your fault, sweetie, but why don't you tell me where they are, so I can help them, too? Can you do that for me?"

That woke Alice from her frazzled state of mind.

She had finally found help and she was wasting time being a baby.

"Yes, help them. They are down there. I'll take you," she replied hurriedly as she pulled him toward the river.

Emmett didn't want to make her go back to the river since her feet were a mess but figured there was no better option. Time was of the essence.

So he did the only thing left to do. He took her in his arms and took off running.

Water.

Cold.

Velvet voice.

Those were the sounds Bella could hear from afar. She couldn't make out the words the voice was saying but she found comfort in them. She was scared, but she didn't know of what. It was unsettling, but the voice helped her relax, and soon she found herself back in the blackness where no fear and no sound reached her. She did mourn the loss of the velvet voice though.

"Fucking piece of shit!" Jasper bellowed as he tried to yank the belt out of the clip for the hundredth time. He had given up on the tiny Swiss Army knife when the screw that held it together loosened, making it even harder to use.

"Jasper, please, man. I know you can do this," Edward replied feebly from the car.

Jasper knew that Edward was losing the battle quickly, and yet he still refused to let go of the girl.

"If you are out there, if you are really out there, God, do something. Aren't you all about faith? This kid has not lost it, he is fucking dying and still thinks I can do shit. I can't. I'm nothing, okay? I know that. I know I've hated you for ruining my family, and I've spit on your name many, many times. But don't take it out on this kid. He is young and innocent enough to believe in love at first sight. He has balls of steel, but more than anything he has faith. Please, don't prove him wrong. They are both too young to die." Jasper prayed as he pulled on the damn belt again.

"There they are" he heard Alice yell, and when he looked up, he felt like crying, because she was being carried by the biggest motherfucker he had ever seen. The man was a mountain of muscle, and Jasper knew he was their last hope.

He couldn't help looking up at the sky and saying a quick thank you.

Emmett quickly dove into the water and assessed the situation. The front of the car was almost full of water, and the added weight was causing the car to slide further into the river. The movement was causing the heavy piece of concrete to move as well. It was only a matter of time before it shifted toward the front and crushed the girl inside.

Without losing another second, he pulled out his Kershaw knife and cut the belt out, making Jasper hold on to the girl to avoid cutting her accidentally. Alice had swam to the other side of the car to check on Edward, who was still holding the girl's face out of the water, but Alice could tell it was taking a lot out of him to do so.

She couldn't see him well because he was almost submerged in water, but she could tell his lips were blue. She also noticed that the water around him was tinged red, and she knew he was losing a lot of blood.

"Edward, get out, we got her." Jasper yelled while Emmett pulled the girl out through the window, causing the car to jostle and the concrete to slide a little bit further.

But Edward didn't react. He simply dropped his arm and kept talking as if she was still there.

Alice had no time to think about her fear of water. She simply held her breath as she dove into the water and pulled Edward out. Thanking the Lord for buoyancy, because had they been on dry land, there was no way her tiny arms would have been able to move him.

A second after she got him out, the concrete slid further toward the front, bending the metal and causing the car to sink fully into the river.

It took them all a few seconds to absorb the shock, but reality hit them in the face when Edward began to shake uncontrollably.

Handing the girl to Jasper, Emmett grabbed Edward from Alice and waded back to the embankment. Once there, he laid him on his back and began to assess him while Jasper and Alice tried to flag one of the patrol boats that had arrived.

He found his bag on the ground where he had dropped it before jumping in the water. After retrieving a bunch of gauze and a tourniquet, he undid Edward's amateur one and clamped the foot right above the ankle. He then poured some iodine in the wound and was happy to see that his nerves were still alive, even though all of the extremities were turning blue from the loss of blood. He then gave him a shot of epinephrine to force his heart to keep pumping.

He heard the siren of an approaching boat, and he knew help was underway. He only hoped it would be in time.

Edward woke up to big doe eyes looking up to him. The eyes looked worried, but they soon sparkled with joy.

"You are awake!" A pretty girl with long brown hair exclaimed excitedly.

She was dressed in a hospital gown with blue bows on it. She was breathtaking.

"Do you remember what happened?" the girl asked, concerned.

He tried hard to make his mind work, but it was fuzzy. All he could focus on was on the pretty girl's eyes and the sweet timbre of her voice. He tried to tell her that she was beautiful, but his mouth was not cooperating.

She let out a giggle and looked at him with eyes full of mirth.

"You are stoned, aren't you?"

He was going to attempt to answer when he noticed her arm was in a sling and both her arms had many cuts and bruises. When he focused back on her face, he saw the gauze that covered the side of her head and one by one the memories trickled back into his memory.

The songs.

Her smiles.

Her fear.

Pain.

Jasper.

Water.

His foot.

He felt the panic rising and soon he couldn't breathe. The memories of that day were choking him and he was scared.

"Edward, breathe! You're okay, son, you are fine. Breathe with me!" He heard his father say.

He tried to breathe, but the fear was choking him. He then felt a tiny hand running through his hair.

"Breathe with me, Edward. You are okay. We are okay. Breathe, sweetheart."

He felt himself relax at her touch.

"That's it, hun, you are doing fine. Breathe, that's it. Open those pretty eyes for me." she begged.

When he did, he found her teary eyes right above him. He couldn't help himself and burst out crying.

"Hey, Bubba, don't cry. Mom is here, Mommy is right here," he heard his mom say as she awkwardly hugged him. She hadn't called him Bubba since he was six, but he found it comforting. He was safe, he was home and he had his girl.

His girl.

That got him to smile through his tears, and he found his voice.

"You're here," he stated, looking into the deep brown eyes above him.

"Thanks to you, I am," she replied, her eyes shining with gratitude.

"You are my girl," he stated again.

"I did say yes to your song, didn't I?"

His smile could not be contained.

"Yes. Yes you did."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello wonderful people. I'm super happy today and very humbled by the response this story has received. I have no words to thank you. What a way to come back to writing! Seriously guys, thank you for reminding me how awesome writing can feel. I'm full of energy and the plot bunnies have returned with a vengeance. In fact, I already have four chapters in of my next story. Since you all really seem to like this one, I have decided to expand it a few chapters as well. I don't have a set schedule but I'm going to do my best to post at least once a week.**

 **Sarcastic Bimbo is my wonderful Beta and Pre reader who has been a tremendous support for this story. She helps me make this legible for you all and for that I will be forever grateful. She is truly my shining star.**

 **I also want to thank Titter Ritter for her endless support and encouragement. She has been with me since the beginning and although she won't be directly involved with this story, her friendship and kindness always inspire me, so this is also for her.**

 **Hope you enjoy this!**

Jasper was released from the hospital within two hours of his arrival. He felt bad that he had wasted the precious time of the medical professionals that had worked on him when he knew he didn't have any severe injuries, but for some reason he couldn't bear to leave Ms. Brandon alone in the middle of all that chaos.

As soon as they were out of the water and the burly paramedic began to work on Edward, she began to shake uncontrollably and even emptied her stomach. He watched her as she stared at the scene around her and cried silently. Her face was lovely, even in such circumstances her beauty couldn't be ignored, not even the mascara running down her face could mar it. She looked terrified and he wished he could somehow soothe her fear, reassure her somehow, but his arms were full with the injured girl and he didn't think Ms. Brandon would appreciate him disrupting her while she was struggling.

Moments later as the paramedics on the boat treated her injuries he overheard them say she was going to have to be taken in as the cuts on her feet needed stitches. It was then that he decided to pretend to be a bit dizzy so that they would take him in as well, hoping he could watch her from afar and make sure she was safe until her family arrived. After all, she had risked her life to save a total stranger so it was only fair that someone watched over her safety.

Arriving to the hospital was like watching a Hollywood movie. The kind where the world is falling apart and there aren't enough resources to help everyone. Injured people lay on every surface available: counters, desks, tables, chairs, all over the floor and even on top of water fountains. There were doctors and nurses running around carrying supplies from one place to another trying to help everyone at once. He saw people who could still move aiding those who couldn't, and that's when the events of the day finally hit him.

 _He had fallen from a fucking bridge_.

By all logical estimation, he should be dead but he wasn't. He was alive. Alive to see his mother again, to spare her the nightmare of burying her only child left. Alive to… what?

He had no idea why he was alive. He didn't really have a life. All he did was work and drink and then work some more. His life was nothing special. Why had he survived?

"Don't do that!" A sweet voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Ms. Brandon.

"Pardon me, Ma'am," he said in his heavy Texas country accent, feeling like a fool for even daring to address her. She was so beautiful and classy, he had no business talking to her but she had addressed him and he was nothing if not a gentleman. "May I ask what is it that I'm doing?"

"You have a look on your face that tells me you're wondering why you survived," she responded almost angrily.

Jasper was surprised and a little unnerved that she could tell what was going through his head, he was a private man and did his best to keep people from his business by always keeping his feelings guarded. Yet, this woman had the power to disarm him with one look.

"I can't help it," he replied sincerely.

"Yes, you can. I don't care how terrible your life is, there's a reason for it. Perhaps it would help you to think that if you'd died, that boy would have died a terrible death trapped in that car, or that girl would've drowned. You already have two reasons for your survival and I haven't even met you. I'm sure you're a wonderful human being and that the world would have lost someone valuable if you had died," she stated matter of factly.

"How can you say that about me? You don't know me!" he replied, exasperated.

Ms. Brandon looked at him straight in the eyes and reached for his hand.

"Because only a person with a beautiful soul would have risked his life to save complete strangers. I don't know your past or what you could possibly think makes you unworthy of a second chance, but I know that much, and in God's eyes, that is all that matters," she explained, giving him the brightest smile he'd ever seen.

It was at that moment he realized she was an angel. Perhaps God had felt pity on him and sent him this beautiful creature to soothe his soul and he'd be damned if he ever let her go.

"I'm not sure what to say to that," he replied shyly.

"How about starting with your name? I'm Alice Brandon," she said as she extended her free hand, surprising herself by refusing to let his other hand free.

"I'm Jasper Whitlock, pleased to make your acquaintance," he bowed his head and kissed her hand, his southern charm in full effect.

She giggled as he winked at her.

A nurse interrupted their moment when she started screaming a code blue a few feet away from them, immediately pulling them back to their reality. However, neither of them let the other one go.

***PLUMMET***

A few hours later, Jasper found himself watching over a sleeping Alice. He had experienced one of the most wonderful evenings he'd ever dreamed on by getting to know her, despite the dire circumstances that surrounded him. He found out she had a great sense of humor, a penchant for thrift shopping and that she was everything he ever wanted in a woman. She seemed to like touching him because she never let go of his hand and she did little things like touching his arms or pushing his chest that made him feel like he was flying. He couldn't believe such a beautiful, smart and kind woman was flirting with him. At first he thought maybe he was imagining things but when a nurse came to take her to a room, she refused to be separated from him, choosing to wait in the waiting room instead of a room in order to stay together.

As the hours passed the urge to kiss her was growing stronger. She was perfection and he wanted the chance to have her in his life. However, he noticed that she was nervous and as time went by she began to pull away from him, looking at him worriedly.

"Is everything ok?" he finally asked, worried that he may have misread the signs.

She burst into tears.

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't her tears. He ached from watching the anguish in her eyes as she looked at him remorsefully. When she began to sob into her hands, hiding her face from him, he couldn't take it. He pulled her into a hug and raised her chin to make him look at him.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Can I help?" he asked worriedly.

She hid her face in his chest before she responded.

"I have a son."

Jasper tensed. Was she married? Had he misread her signals?

"I'm sorry I didn't mention it earlier. You've been so wonderful, staying with me during this horrible nightmare instead of going home to your loved ones; I was selfish. I wanted a chance to have a guy look at me as a woman, not as walking baggage. It felt nice to be with you, you made me feel protected and safe and after all this time of being alone, I just wanted to indulge in the fantasy that someone could care about me... that way. I'm sorry," she explained as she pulled away from him and buried her face in her hands again.

"I was 17 when I got pregnant. My parents were very religious and never really explained sex to me. I guess they figured that since I was in an all-girls school they didn't have to worry but that left me unprepared. Mark worked at the school as a gardener. He was 21 and oh, so beautiful. All the girls had crushes on him but we were never able to talk to him as he wasn't allowed to be near us. One day my class went on a field trip but I arrived late to school and missed the bus. I was terrified to go home because I knew my parents would ground me for missing school so I stayed in the parking lot. He saw me and helped me sneak off of school grounds. I knew what I was doing was wrong but it made me feel special that such a cute guy wanted to spend time with me.

He took me to his place and fed me stale popcorn and made me drink some beer as we watched a movie. When he kissed me I felt like I was a princess being kissed for the first time. He began to touch me, telling me that's what boyfriends do and soon I found myself naked. I remember telling him I wanted to go home but he refused. When he was done with me he told me to get dressed and that he'd take me back to the school. He made me swear it would be our secret and promised that he loved me.

The next day he didn't show up to school and soon I found out he had quit. I was heartbroken and felt stupid. A couple of months later I was feeling very sick. I kept throwing up and my body was sore. My mother took me to the doctor and that's when I found out I was pregnant. I had no idea how that even happened! I was so naïve I didn't realize I had had sex with Mark. My mom wanted me to abort it immediately, but I refused. My father hit me so hard and called me all kinds of names for dishonoring his name, then he literally threw me out in the street with nothing. I never saw them again.

I slept under a bridge the first few nights until my hunger was so bad I felt like I was going to die. I didn't want my baby to be hungry but I had no idea what to do. I grew up very sheltered, I didn't know how one found a job or got food. I was walking one night when I saw a lady throwing out food in a dumpster. I begged her to let me have it and told her about my baby. She was an angel that took me in and let me work in her café and treated me like a daughter. Not even my real parents loved me as much as she did. I owe her my life and Jimmy's life. She died a few years ago so now I only have Jimmy in my life. I don't have time to date and honestly I'm not very good at it. But you felt different, I don't know why but the moment I saw you sitting there I felt like I needed you. I've never felt this way before so I just acted on impulse. I'm really sorry," she stated apologetically.

Confusion and anger flooded his brain as he tried to decipher her words. Was she telling him that she didn't want him? She had said she felt safe with him, why was she pulling away? Did she really think he wouldn't like her because she had a son? Where was the motherfucker that touched her? He wanted to rip him to pieces for making her suffer so much.

"Alice, look at me," he demanded.

She slowly looked up and the sadness in her eyes nearly broke him.

"Why would you think that having a kid would make an ounce of difference to me? A few hours ago I had no idea why I survived this but I can tell you that's changed now. I survived because I needed to meet you. I've been with other women in my life but I can honestly tell you that not a single one made me feel as good as you have in just the few hours we've been here. You are beautiful and smart and have the most amazing sense of humor. You are kind and patient with me when I can't express myself properly. Let me assure you, honey, you deserve to be looked after, to be worshipped, if those are things you want, and I'd be the luckiest bastard on this earth if you give me the chance to get to know you and your son. I know I'm not much, but I promise you, sweetheart, that if you give me a chance, I'll work every day of my damn life to make sure I'm worthy of both of you."

Alice threw herself into his arms and sobbed.

"Do you mean that? Do you really want me like that? I'm a package. Jimmy is my life and I'd never ever compromise his well-being for anyone."

"I would never ask you to," he replied sincerely.

Before he could say anything else, Alice kissed him. It was a sweet kiss, the kind that says thank you and please don't hurt me at the same time. Jasper responded by kissing her back softly, promising to care for her always.

** Plummet**

Bella opened her eyes to very bright lights that caused her to recoil in pain. Her head felt as if it had been pummeled by a professional wrestler and then run through a wood chipper only to be reassembled with crazy glue. When she tried to touch it to make sure it was still somehow serviceable, another pain stabbed her shoulder.

"Don't try to move. I just called the nurse, she should be here shortly. At least, I hope so. They're very busy." A female voice informed her.

The voice was soft and almost musical, Bella didn't recognize it but she felt comforted knowing someone was around. She was confused. Why was she hurt? Where was she?

"I'm glad you woke up, I was afraid you wouldn't even though the doctor said you would. You lost consciousness for a long time and I know how dangerous that can be." The woman spoke again.

Bella was absorbing the fact that she had apparently been unconscious for a while when the woman suddenly gasped.

"You're okay, right? Can you hear me? Are you understanding what I'm saying? Please tell me you're okay. Where's the damn nurse?" she rambled.

"My head hurts," Bella managed to respond, hoping that would be enough to keep the woman from worrying further because she wasn't sure she could talk again. Her head was truly hurting and she was getting scared. She couldn't remember what happened and that couldn't be good.

"It's to be expected. You have a nasty concussion but fortunately no further damage to the brain. I overheard Dr. Cullen talking to the chief earlier. You have no idea how worried your father was…"

"Good afternoon, Ms. Swan, I'm glad to see you awake. My name is Judy and I'm the nurse on duty. Can you tell me your full name?" a cheery voice interrupted.

"Isabella Swan," she croaked.

"Thank you, , how are you feeling?" the nurse asked as she worked on something around her.

"Hurts."

'Can you open your eyes for me?'

Bella tried to open them again but immediately recoiled from the pain.

'Hurts,' she repeated.

'Don't worry, Ms. Swan, I've paged Dr. Cullen and he should be here soon. He'll order something to make you comfortable, okay?' the nurse soothed.

'What happened?' Bella managed to ask.

There was only silence so Bella chanced opening her eyes to see why.

She found the two women staring at each other. The woman with the musical voice had been lying on the bed next to hers, her feet wrapped in heavy gauze that was bloodied and she had cuts and bruises all over her body. The nurse was an older woman with a kind face that currently looked heartbroken.

"What's going on?" Bella demanded. The heart monitor registering the panic she felt at not remembering why she was hurt.

"Bella, sweetie, calm down." Her neighbor told her.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" she asked, wincing at the splitting pain in her brain.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Swan, what a pleasure to have you back with us. You gave us quite a scare there for a minute. How are you feeling?" A doctor inquired as he walked through the door.

All the air left her when she saw him. He was a very handsome man but he looked exhausted, not the kind of exhausted from working long hours but the kind where you are so overwhelmed that all you can do is put one foot in front of the other. He was tall with blond hair that was in total disarray. His scrubs were stained with blood and some other unknown stuff. He had a perfectly chiseled jaw and eyes so green that they reminded her of emeralds.

 _Emeralds._

 _The guy._

 _The Camaro._

 _The water._

"NO!" She screamed. "The bridge! Please, someone help him. He was next to me! Please, you have to find him. Please!" She begged hysterically as she clung to the doctor's lab coat.

"Ms. Swan, please calm down. Everything is okay," the doctor soothed as he signaled the nurse for a sedative.

"I fell…something happened… the water was cold. Something heavy. Oh, god!" she cried.

"Ms. Swan everything is ok. You're safe now. Please calm down," he asked as he tried to dislodge his coat from her grip.

"There was a guy. He needs help!" she cried desperately as the nurse pushed the sedative into her IV.

"I know, Ms. Swan. He is my son, his name is Edward and he is being treated. Now, please let the medicine do its job and rest. I'll come check on you in a couple of hours."

"Your son?"

"Rest, Ms. Swan, I'll talk to you later."

She tried to argue, to beg for answers but before she could speak again, blackness once again overtook her.

***Plummet***

Esme Cullen was cooking meatloaf when she heard the news on the TV. It took her a few minutes to realize that the bridge had truly fallen and that the carnage she was witnessing on the screen was real. Her first thought was of Edward, but she realized that by the time the bridge collapsed he must have already been at school, her heart twisted thinking of how close he had been to danger and made a mental note to call him as soon as he was out of class.

Right now her city was in trouble and she needed to help. She was no stranger to emergency situations. Her family had been living in Manhattan when the World Trade Center collapse happened so she had experience organizing help for the victims and rescue workers. All she needed was to contact her friends to get them donating.

She had just pulled out her phone when the news anchor's voice caught her attention again.

"The collapse of the I-35 Bridge was exacerbated by the hundreds of cars that were on it due to a truck accident that had traffic on lockdown for over an hour, causing more victims than it would have had it fallen during normal traffic. At this point it is unclear whether the extra weight of the idling vehicles was a factor for the collapse or …"

Esme felt her stomach fall and her heart twist.

Edward had been there.

Without a second thought she ran out of the house and started her car. She had no idea where to look for her son. Should she go to the hospitals? The accident scene? The morgue?

That last thought made her scream. Her body recoiled from the very idea of having her little boy lying in a cold morgue. With tears that blinded her and a pain that felt like it was going to consume her alive, she drove toward the hospital. That was the place he was most likely to be, so she would start her search there.

When she arrived at the hospital she couldn't believe her eyes. The chaos and abundance of victims was overwhelming but she managed to get through to her husband's office. The nurse in charge informed her that he was in surgery and would not be coming out anytime soon.

Without her husband's help she knew it would be difficult to look for Edward among all the victims. Every nurse she encountered was either helping a patient or trying to find space to fit more. Esme took a moment to look around hoping to find someone to help her, but all she found were people that needed help.

She decided to go to the morgue, hoping someone could tell her that her baby boy was not there. She was numb; floating through the hallways, thinking about the last time she saw him. How he'd tried to get into her good graces after she yelled at him for keeping his apartment so messy that it was almost a health hazard, and his sad puppy dog face when she tried to deny him access to the pie she had delivered. She said a prayer to God telling him that if Edward was alive, she'd never nag him about his apartment again. Hell, she'd clean it for him. All she needed was for him to be alive.

"Mrs. Cullen!" a voice called her out of her thoughts.

"Tanya!" She replied, happy to find someone that could help.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the ground floor… I… am. . . looking for Edward," she replied, unable to keep the tears from flowing fresh.

"Oh, Mrs. Cullen! No! Edward is in the OR. Dr. Martinez is working on him."

Esme felt her soul return to her body. Her boy was alive.

"What happened to him?"

Tanya had no idea how to explain Edward's situation to Esme. She loved the Cullens like surrogate parents and Edward was her best friend. She knew the news would be very upsetting to Esme and she didn't want to be the one relaying it.

"Tanya, whatever it is, you better tell me the truth. He's my son, I deserve to know!" Esme demanded when she noticed Tanya's hesitancy.

"His foot… is in trouble. He also lost a lot of blood. I was the one who received him from the ambulance and the paramedic explained that he had gone into shock and coded in route. Apparently, Edward tried to rescue a woman that was trapped instead of looking for safety after he was pulled from his car. The man who pulled him is in the waiting room talking to another woman who was also injured. His name is Jasper. I haven't been able to get more information. I'm sorry."

"Is he okay now? What do you mean his foot is in trouble?" Esme asked, panic filling her when she heard that her son had died at some point.

"Dr. Martinez stabilized him before heading to the OR. We gave him blood and proceeded to tend to his injuries. His foot was pretty mangled. Apparently the accelerator pedal went all the way through it and Edward had to rip it out in order to leave the car since there was a burning vehicle nearby and his car was leaking gasoline. The muscle was completely ripped and so were his tendons. The loss of blood flow complicated things further but Dr. Martinez is working on him. He'll do everything he can to save it. You know that."

"Does Carlisle know?"

"He signed the authorization forms."

Esme knew what that meant. If things got complicated, Dr. Martinez would amputate her son's foot. She was upset that her husband would make such a decision without consulting her but then she realized that she had left her phone at home in her haste. She knew something like that would devastate Edward. He was such an active boy. She had a showcase full of trophies that proved how disastrous it would be for him to lose any part of his body. She couldn't help but feel a bit of anger. Why didn't he look for help? Why did he have to put himself in danger for a complete stranger? Yet she couldn't really say she was surprised. Edward was Carlisle's son through and through, both of them always put the wellbeing of others above their own. It's what made them terrific doctors. Granted, Edward still hadn't decided but she knew he would end up following in his father's footsteps.

She walked to the waiting room where she found the man Tanya had described. He was holding a sleeping woman who had some very nasty gashes in her feet, yet no one had helped her cover them.

Steeling herself for the information she was about to receive, she gathered some gauze and cleaning materials and decided to put her old nursing skills to work.

*** PLUMMET***

Bella woke up again to soft voices taking around her.

"Thank you so much for helping me get my son settled, Mrs. Cullen. Jasper offered to take him with him, but I didn't think it was appropriate. We just met and this is already traumatic enough for Jimmy, I didn't want to have him stay with strangers on top of everything else." The melodic voice of her roommate said.

"It's the least I could do. You and Jasper helped my boy come back to safety. I will forever be indebted to you for that. Also, I will never let a child suffer if I have a say in it, so don't worry. All you have to do is get well so you can go home soon." A soft voice replied.

"Do you think she will wake up soon?" her roommate said.

Bella felt a motherly caress on her hair before she heard the soft voice reply.

"I hope so."

"I feel bad I was unable to explain to her the situation better without upsetting her. I should have known better," her roommate stated, chagrin coloring her words.

"It's okay, Alice. Everyone reacts differently to trauma. I'm sure she will be a lot calmer once she wakes up and we can explain to her what happened."

"How are you so calm? If Jimmy was hurt I would be dying. I'd probably be kicking my way through the OR just so I could see him."

"Believe me, Alice, I want to but I know that I can't. He is in good hands and all I can do is pray and trust that God won't let any more harm come to him. I figured I could come here and spend time with my future daughter-in-law," the soft voice giggled.

Bella couldn't take her curiosity anymore and opened her eyes to see who the woman was and what they were talking about.

"Who are you?" she asked groggily.

"I'm Esme Cullen. I'm Edward's mother." A woman with caramel hair and hazel eyes responded.

"Who is Edward?"

The women looked at each other concerned.

"Hey, Sweetie, remember me? I was here earlier when the doctor and the nurse came to see you? I'm Alice."

Bella furrowed her brows, ignoring the pain that shot through her head when she did. She tried to get her thoughts in order but her mind felt muddled.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't remember."

The worry in the faces of the women increased.

"Do you remember your name?" the caramel haired lady asked.

"Bella Swan."

"Do you know where you are?"

"A hospital."

"Do you remember why?"

Bella pushed through her jumbled mind until the vivid image of a smiling guy singing to her came through.

"The guy. He was in a yellow car."

"Yes, that's Edward. He's my son." The woman explained patiently.

All of the sudden the images of his car disappearing from her view and the memories of falling into the water made it through her jumbled mind, allowing her to recall the entire ordeal.

"How is he? Is he okay? What happened?" she asked panicked.

"He is in surgery right now, but he is stable. He has some severe injuries in his right foot but we are hoping Dr. Martinez can fix him up," the woman replied calmly.

"Why are you here?" Bella asked confused. She hadn't meant to be rude but she couldn't understand why his family was there with her when they hadn't even met.

"Bella, are you ready to hear what happened? I can help answer your questions but I need to make sure you're ready for the answers. Do you need me to page Dr. Cullen?" Alice inquired.

"I'm fine. I want to know what happened."

With a determined sigh, Alice proceeded to recount their ordeal to Bella, hoping that this time around she would be able to handle it.

*** PLUMMET***

Several hours later Bella found herself staring at the face of the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. He was sleeping peacefully as a result of the anesthesia. His body was bruised and his lips were chapped and she wanted more than anything in the world to be able to kiss them. She couldn't believe he had risked his life to save hers. He could've gotten help for himself and Jasper but instead he chose to dive into the water to find her. She felt overwhelmed with fear and gratitude for the man in front of her. She feared that his actions would cause him a life altering negative effect and that he would hate her for it, but she was eternally grateful for his bravery and kindness in saving her.

"What has you looking so worried?" Esme asked.

"What if he loses his foot? Do you think he will hate me?" Bella replied worriedly as she played with the strap of her sling.

"No, sweetheart. Please, don't do that. Don't blame yourself for any of this. This was an accident and no one is responsible for it," Esme replied as she hugged Bella tight in her arms.

Bella couldn't stop herself from finally crying. Ever since she woke up and found out the truth she had forced herself to be brave so she could see Edward. It was a good thing her father was out there handling the situation because she wouldn't have been able to stay strong once she was safe in her daddy's arms. Esme's hug reminded her so much of her mom that she couldn't stop her tears.

"He wouldn't be so bad if he hadn't gone looking for me," she sobbed.

"He made that decision himself, sweetheart. It's obvious that he saw something special in you. I know my son, Bella, he is the kind of person that goes for what he wants in life and won't stop until he gets it. He wanted you and he fought to get you out of there because that is who he is. He would never regret saving your life, no matter what it cost him." Esme soothed.

"But he doesn't know me! I could be just a stupid girl! I've never done anything important. I'm lazy and messy and a bit neurotic. What if he realizes that and then regrets risking so much for me?"

"Sweetheart, you can't do this to yourself. It was Edward's decision to jump back into that water so whatever happens, he'll have to learn to live with the consequences of that decision. I know my son, and while losing a foot would be a devastating blow for him, I also know he is resilient. He would learn to adapt and come out stronger in the end. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Dr. Martinez said there's a good chance of him keeping his foot as long as there's no infection. So don't worry, okay? Just focus on getting well so you can be there for him when he wakes up."

Bella tried to believe Esme but she couldn't help worrying. She felt guilty for being the cause of Edward's delicate situation and was unable to shake the fear of his rejection.

"How's everyone doing here?" Dr. Cullen asked as he entered the room.

"Your son is still asleep and Bella, here, is being silly. Are you done for the day?" Esme replied happily as she offered a kiss to her exhausted husband.

"Unfortunately, no. I have a couple more hours here until all the patients we can't help get transported to nearby hospitals, but I do have a break," Carlisle replied as he looked over his son's chart.

He and Esme moved to the other end of the room to catch up, leaving Bella alone with Edward.

"I wish you could hear me," she sighed, "I'd love to apologize for everything. I really hope you don't hate me. I promise I'll be with you every step of the way until you recuperate if you let me. God, I hope you let me. I have no words to thank you for what you did. I know my life isn't much, but I would've hated leaving my father. He'd never be able to get over my loss. I also love my friends and my dog, Julius. Thank you so much for helping me come back to them," she said as she placed a soft kiss on his hand.

She felt his arm twitch and immediately pulled away, embarrassed. Had he felt her kiss? Soon he started twitching more and his eyes fluttered.

"Dr. Cullen! Esme!" she called.

Soon she was looking into the beautiful emeralds that had captivated her since the first moment she saw them.

"You're awake!" she stated, unable to hide her excitement.

He looked confused and that made her realize he probably didn't know who she was.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked, worried that he was not talking.

He seemed to be focusing intently on her, almost as if he wanted to say something but his eyes kept glazing over, making it obvious he was still struggling with the effects of the anesthesia.

She let out a giggle at the thought of him being high.

"You're stoned, aren't you?"

He glanced at her injured arm and at her face then suddenly he started shaking and breathing harshly.

"Edward, breathe! You're okay, son, you're fine. Breathe with me!" Dr. Cullen commanded as he held his son down.

Edward seemed terrified. His eyes flew all over the room and he was hyperventilating. She wanted to help him but had no idea what to do. She settled for running her hand through his hair and speaking softly to him.

"Breathe with me, Edward. You're okay. _We're_ okay. Breathe, sweetheart."

He relaxed a little with her words, so she continued.

"That's it, hun, you're doing fine. Breathe, that's it. Open those pretty eyes for me," she begged.

After a few moments his eyes met hers. His were scared and hers were worried but she tried her best to look encouraging. All of the sudden, he burst out crying.

"Hey, Bubba, don't cry. Mom is here, Mommy is right here," Esme cooed while rubbing his arms soothingly.

That seemed to do the trick because Edward relaxed immediately. He looked at his parents and then moved those gorgeous green eyes back to Bella's making her smile encouragingly.

His answering smile was blinding.

"You're here," he stated, looking into her eyes happily.

"Thanks to you, I am," Bella replied with gratitude.

"You're my girl," he stated, making Bella's stomach twist giddily. He remembered her.

"I said yes to your song, didn't I?" she replied trying to hide the excited tremor in her voice.

He smiled a mischievous smile that could light up the entire room.

"Yes. Yes you did."

Dr. Cullen cleared his throat breaking their moment and causing Bella to flush like a tomato.

"Glad to see you awake, son. How are you feeling?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"Right now, I feel like I just got to heaven, Dad. Is she really here?" he replied causing everyone to giggle.

"Yes, Edward, I'm here. You're stuck with me, now," Bella explained through her giggles.

"Quick, Dad! Get me a Powerball ticket. It must be my lucky day," Edward mumbled, the anesthesia still making him drowsy.

Bella couldn't stop herself. She hugged him.

"Definitely, heaven," he sighed as he tried to wrap his arms around her.

Bella got lost in the moment. She was safe and he was awake. All she could pray for was his forgiveness. In the meantime, she took in every detail of his embrace. The way he smelled, the way his weakened arms tried to hold her in his solid embrace. He was right, it was heaven.

All she had to do was hope she could stay in it forever.

 **A/N: So we know a little bit more about Jasper and Alice. I hope you liked them. Next chapter will be Bella and Edward. Our boy has some difficult times ahead.**

 **Please join my Facebook group 'Amoxcalli's (spidermonkey's321) Fanfic Corner' for more info about the story and to say hi. I love getting to know you!**

 **See ya'll next week!** **  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sorry this update took so long but let's just say that November kicked mu butt. I had to change jobs and went through a break up so my muse wasn't really up to anything. But now that December is here, coincidentally my most favorite time of the year, I felt it was time to start over.**

 **Now, I want to make something clear about plummet. I have googled some of the medical conditions that will be described. However, I have taken creative license and adding symptoms and conditions that do not exist in reality. This is a work of fiction, so if we can all believe in vampires that sparkle and look like Gods, please use the same imagination to follow this story. The other thing is that this is a HEA. Please remember that as you read. It will get ugly, but I will always get these two to a happy place.**

 **I thank Sarcastic Bimbo for her amazing beta skills. She makes this legible!**

 **Hope you enjoy it and if you do, please review.**

Bella woke up to nimble fingers running through her hair. The sensation felt wonderful and it made her groan with pleasure.

"I take it you like that, huh?" a raspy voice said.

She was still in that state of mind where you are awake but you kind of don't know it yet so all she did was grunt.

"I'll take that as a yes," the voice chuckled.

"Care to tell me how this spider-monkey ended up sleeping, quite uncomfortably by the looks of it, half on a chair and half on my bed? Because I think that is definitely against doctor's orders for said monkey…" The voice accused while the fingers running through her hair slipped towards her face, caressing her cheek and bopping the end of her nose.

That woke her up.

"Uh…" she trailed off when she saw the gorgeous face of a sleepy Edward raising an eyebrow accusatorily.

"It looks like the cat got your tongue, Miss Swan. This doesn't bode well for you, you know? I could get you in all kinds of trouble with my dad," he said, trying his best to keep a straight face.

"You wouldn't…"

"Oh yes I would, Miss Swan. If you want it my silence is gonna cost ya."

"Oh, really? What is the price of your silence, Mr. Cullen? Because I think we can reach an understanding, If you are willing, of course," she replied while twirling a piece of her hair with her finger and acting all coy, yet sexy.

Edward swallowed hard.

"Uh… what are you offering, Miss Swan?" he replied as he pulled on the thin hospital blanket trying to cover the growing problem in his crotch.

"What has you so flustered, Mr. Cullen? It couldn't be little old me … could it?" she asked as she walked around the bed, trying her best to sway her hips seductively .

Well… as seductive as one can be in a hospital gown.

Regardless of her clothing, the woman was temptation incarnate. Had Edward not been incapacitated, he would have made her pay for her teasing by pulling her into the bed under him and kissing and touching her until she begged him to fuck her there and then. But his foot was literally hanging on by a thread so he couldn't really do what he wished.

"I see you're trying to distract me, Miss Swan, but that just won't work. I'm a hard man to distract when I have my sights set on something or someone," he teased back.

Bella who was not used to being outdone, ran her finger along the stiff bulge protruding underneath the blanket.

Edward groaned.

"I can see that, Mr. Cullen, you are indeed a very, very hard man," she whispered close to his ear, causing goosebumps to erupt all over his skin.

"You'll pay for that, you know it, right?" he said, swallowing hard when she kissed his ear.

"Okay you two cut it out! I've been standing at that door watching you eye-fuck each other for several minutes and no one has noticed me. Do you realize that could have been your dad?" Tanya huffed, breaking the sexual tension and making both of them pull apart, ashamed of being caught.

"Ohh, c'mon sweet cheeks, don't be mad. Just because you're no longer my number one girl doesn't mean you have to go all huffy on me," Edward teased.

"Fuck you, Cullen" Tanya replied shortly, causing Bella to snort with laughter.

Edward was elated at the sound. He still couldn't believe that for the first time in his life a girl wasn't threatened by Tanya, on the contrary the two of them had become thick as thieves.

Edward smiled at the memory of that first meeting. He and Bella had been getting to know each other after he woke up from the anesthesia when Tanya waltzed into the room and proceeded to smack him in the head then follow with a hug that almost crushed his ribs. The girl was strong.

"Don't you fucking scare me like that again. You hear me? I have never been more scared in my entire life than when I saw you getting pulled out of that ambulance. When the paramedic told me you had coded I almost lost my shit!" Her anger and concern for him easily seen.

"Excuse me? who are you?" His lovely girl asked, her brow raised and her chin set tightly. She was clearly annoyed by Tanya's outburst and angry tone.

Tanya pulled away from Edward and looked Bella up and down as if she was a bug. Tanya was nothing if not overprotective of him.

"The question should be who the hell are you?" she sneered.

Bella squared her shoulders and with look in her eyes that could easily freeze hell replied "I'm Edwards girlfriend so unless you want to lose a limb I suggest you stop hurting him with your effusiveness. In case you haven't realized, he is injured and therefore quite uncomfortable with your over-emotional display."

Tanya chuckled.

"Of course I know he is injured, darling. I was the one that kept him alive between the ambulance and the OR," she explained condescendingly.

Edward could see things were getting dirty so he intervened.

"Baby, this is Tanya Denali. She's been my friend since we were in diapers. As you can see, she is a bit of a bitch towards people at first, but deep down, very deep, if I may say, she's a big ball of mush and the best person you could hope to meet," Edward acknowledged nervously.

He was terrified of Bella having the usual reaction most of his girlfriends had to Tanya.

Jealousy.

He had lost enough girlfriends to it. They could never understand that Tanya was like a sister to him, no matter how hard he tried. They would pretend at first to be okay with the friendship but soon they would start getting mad anytime he'd try to hang out with her and their group of friends. They would argue, pout and even restrict sex in order to pull them apart and he wasn't going to let that happen. Ever.

Of course, Tanya didn't make it easy by hating them back and constantly putting them down. Her reasoning was that they were insecure little bitches that didn't love him enough to trust him and respect his individuality.

But Bella surprised him once again.

"Nice to meet you, Tanya. Please forgive my reaction but I didn't like to see Edward in pain. While I understand your effusiveness, I couldn't help my reaction. Shall we start over?" She explained while extending her hand, "Hello, I'm Bella Swan."

Tanya was taken aback by Bella's protectiveness of Edward and was pleasantly surprised that it hadn't come out because of jealousy but because she had indeed caused him pain.

"I'm Tanya Denali," she said as they shook hands formally. "I'm sorry about my reaction, I should've known better than to pounce on him like that, but I've been so scared that I couldn't help it."

Edward's jaw almost hit the bed. He had never, in all his 23 years of life, seen Tanya Denali apologize to anyone. He loved her to pieces, but Tanya was really a bitch to people she didn't care about. Knowing her like he did, he understood why but it was still difficult to deal with her attitude sometimes.

"I understand. I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for you to see him like that. I'm honestly amazed you were able to keep your professionalism and treat him. I don't know if I could keep my wits, much less continue to work, if I saw anyone I love so injured, especially in such chaotic circumstances," Bella replied sincerely,

"Let me just tell you that, at that moment, I understood why it is not allowed for us to treat our loved ones. It's a heavy load to know you have the life of your best friend in your hands. I wanted to cry and get angry because he was hurt, but I couldn't allow myself that luxury. All I could do was use all my training and pray with all my might that it would be enough."

"Pray? Since when do you pray, Tan?" Edward asked, shocked by her admission.

"Since the moment that ambulance door opened and I saw you there, covered in blood and pale as a corpse."

Bella could tell that Tanya was fighting off tears and she didn't want to make her uncomfortable with her presence. She could tell Tanya wasn't the crying type and figured she needed some time alone with Edward.

"I'm going to go visit Alice. It was a pleasure to meet you, Tanya. Thank you so much for everything you did to help Edward. Once again, I'm sorry for the overreaction, I hope we can hang out again, soon." Bella said sincerely.

"Don't you overdo it with Alice, okay? Remember that you promised Dad that you would be careful. If you get sick he will switch you to another room again and I wouldn't be happy with that," Edward said, thankful for her understanding.

"Don't worry. I am just going to get my toenails redone. It's been two days since she did them last and God forbid I walk around with three day old nail polish," Bella retorted sarcastically, causing everyone to laugh.

As soon as she closed the door, Tanya turned to Edward and said, "You know you are going to marry that woman right?"

Edward couldn't help the goofy smile that broke out.

"I hope so, Tan. She's absolutely incredible."

"Can you explain to me how the hell is it that you are able to even think about sex, much less sport that little stiffy there? You should be all doped up with painkillers!" Tanya yelled at him, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"I asked the nurse to skip a dose. They make me groggy and I don't feel anything, much less pain."

Tanya tried her best to keep her composure but Bella could tell that she wasn't pleased about that information.

"Well, that stupid Jessica needs to stop letting you flirt her into deciding shit you have no business deciding. The doctor said you need painkillers and you WILL get them, you hear me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"But I'm not in pain!" he argued.

"Too fucking bad." She replied while pulling out his chart and studying it.

Again, her face told Bella something wasn't right but Tanya was obviously trying to keep her thoughts from Edward and she wasn't about to force her.

"I think I'm gonna give you a reason to need the painkillers, Cullen. Why haven't you said anything about the fact that Jessica didn't come to check on you this morning? She was supposed to be her an hour ago!"

"Calm down, Tan. She popped her head earlier and asked me how I was feeling. I told her I was fine. She explained that she had to help another patient but would come back in a bit to check on me. The world is not going to end because she takes a little longer to check me over." He explained, rather annoyed. Tanya was always a bit anal about things.

Tanya bit her lip and took a long breath as she pulled some latex gloves from the dispenser box next to his bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked, even though he knew already.

"I'm a medical student Edward. If that two cent tramp can't do her job right I will; even if it means I'll have to touch you and get your fucking cooties," she snarked.

Bella couldn't help herself anymore and guffawed at their banter. They really were like brother and sister.

"I'm going to take a shower while you work him over," she told Tanya as she grabbed her towel. She knew Edward was uncomfortable about letting her see his wounds and she didn't want to intrude.

"Okay, Missy, but don't think I don't know that you spent the night on that chair. If Carlisle catches you he will handcuff you to the bed. You have a nasty concussion Bella and your shoulder needs to heal. Sleeping in such uncomfortable position isn't exactly what you need so stop being so stubborn and sleep in your own goddamned bed, okay?"

"Ma'am! Yes, ma'am!" Bella saluted and marched towards the shower.

Once she reached the door she turned around and said.

"Oh, and Tanya? There's nothing 'little' about Edward, just for your 411."

With that, she got into the restroom leaving behind a speechless Tanya and a guffawing Edward.

*****PLUMMET*****

Tanya left Edward's room with a bad feeling. Medically speaking, Edward was fine. He didn't have a fever, he was lucid and pain free. His wounds were clear with no redness or other sign of infection. However, it was odd that he felt no pain after almost 10 hours since his last dose of painkillers. She also noticed that his lymph nodes were a tad swollen, but his last blood test hadn't shown any sign of increased white blood cells or anything that would signal an internal infection.

Yet, her gut told her there was something wrong.

She decided to ask Dr. Martinez about it, only to be told that the labs were fine and nothing was out of the ordinary. When she tried to insist, Dr. Martinez reminded her of her status as an intern and walked away.

Knowing that it would probably cost her the internship she had worked so hard for, she marched into Carlisle's office.

*****PLUMMET*****

Carlisle was in the middle of a meeting with the board of trustees when his cell phone vibrated in his pants. He figured it was Esme wondering what was taking him so long so he decided to ignore it. The board was being difficult in its investigation of the treatment of patients during the aftermath of the bridge collapse. They were worried about potential lawsuits from the people who received either no care, or care that was provided under less than ideal circumstances.

"Gentlemen, I'm a doctor. I swore to do my very best to save lives. There was no way I could turn away those patients knowing there was no access to the roads that lead to other hospitals. While treating them on the floors or on top of desks was less than ideal, I would have signed their death sentences if I had turned them away," he explained for the tenth time.

"Yes, Carlisle, we are aware of the fact that the roads were not in service and that turning patients away while we were at capacity was as good as calling their death. However, those deaths would not have been on us. We wouldn't have any responsibility, legal or otherwise towards those who would have perished. As the director of the hospital, we trust you look after the interests of the hospital and those of the trustees. If a mistake was made and a patient dies, we will be responsible for damages. That certainly does not fit our interests," Aro, the head of the board sneered.

Aro had been a stone in Carlisle's shoe since they were in medical school. They were both bright doctors and top of their class. While Carlisle felt a sort of kinship towards his bright classmate, Aro was always competitive and never hesitated to step on Carlisle's head if it meant he could get ahead of him. He was a professional ass-kisser and while it served him well with teachers, once they became interns the story was different. Attending doctors had no patience for ass-kissers and would be annoyed by it, punishing the ass-kissers with the most disgusting work they could come up with, a fact that Aro learned really quick.

They both worked really hard and while Carlisle attempted to have a friendly and cooperative relationship with his former classmate, Aro refused. It was during the holiday break of their last year as interns that fate ended Aro's medical career. Carlisle had asked for the night off to be with his new wife but Aro managed to hand a last minute surgery to him in order to get the night off himself. He really didn't have a family or even a girlfriend to spend the night with but as it was customary, he refused to let Carlisle get any type of reward or benefit because he didn't feel like he deserved it.

A truck driver hit a patch of black ice that night and crashed against the driver side of Aro's convertible, causing it to flip over and severing his right arm as it did, as well as causing a multitude of other injuries that made him unable to practice medicine in a clinical setting.

After his recovery, he obtained an administrative job at the hospital and with his intelligence and supreme ass-kissing skills, he eventually became part of the board of trustees, the same board that held Carlisle's medical career in their hands.

Before Carlisle could reply to Aro's statement his phone went off again.

He ignored it.

"If a patient's death is ruled negligent, I'll present you my resignation and face the legal repercussions of my decision. However, I'm certain that my staff worked hard and did their very best to save lives even under the less than ideal conditions that were present during that time."

Carlisle didn't miss the glint of satisfaction in Aro's eyes as he replied.

"If a patient dies due to your negligent decision, you will lose a lot more than that, Carlisle. However, if you resign right now and accept your mistakes, we would be lenient and allow you to retire early. This would help our legal team work their magic to save the reputation of the hospital. "

Carlisle took a minute to digest the offer being presented. He knew that Aro had finally managed to hold a guillotine over his head, but he also knew that he had acted in the best interests of the wounded and hadn't done anything that he felt ashamed of. While he hoped that every patient was treated with dignity and as much medical professionalism as was possible during such stressful circumstances, he knew there was a slight possibility that mistakes were made. He knew that Aro wanted him to accept fault in order to see his reputation as one of the best surgeons in the country ruined, but he also knew that if he chose to fight, there was a slight possibility of not only losing his reputation, but his job and even his freedom.

The decision was very difficult.

"We will give you until Tuesday to decide, Carlisle. We can't wait much longer if we want to be prepared for the worst. We will reconvene at 11:00 am on Tuesday." Aro stated.

Carlisle left the room feeling like his world was coming to an end and he was powerless to stop it.

*****PLUMMET*****

Bella was trying to pay attention to the ridiculous movie that was playing on the TV, but she couldn't focus. Edward had fallen asleep earlier, so she reluctantly returned to her bed after leaving the dividing curtain open so she could at least look at him. She knew it was stupid how much she missed him when she was a few steps from his bed, but there was something very calming about sleeping next to him, even if it meant contorting in all kinds of odd positions in a very uncomfortable chair. At least her nightmares stayed away.

They had started a few days before. She dreamed that she watched Edward as he fell to the water and she couldn't stop it. in her dreams, she would stand in the middle of the river watching hundreds of people drowning and begging her to help, but all she could do was look for Edward while the water began to swallow her too. The dream varied but it was always about Edward getting lost among a sea of bodies and she could never find him before she drowned herself.

She shivered at the memories of those dreams. Edward was her hero, the reason she was alive and breathing. Yet, in the days since he woke up she had discovered that he was also the perfect man for her. He had the same sarcastic sense of humor as her and their tastes in pretty much everything complimented each other, except for the food. The guy was an insufferable picky eater. Most importantly, Edward was the first man that really understood her. He never took anything for granted and never made any decisions without her input. Perhaps it was a silly thing, but she felt validated every time he looked at her for her opinion. She had grown up with a mother that always made decisions for her, choosing her clothes, her after school activities and even her friends without considering her feelings on any subject. He father, while nicer about it, had always decided things without asking her. From the furniture he bought for her room, to the car that she drove, he had chosen them as if her opinion didn't count. She was grateful that he cared about her and loved her in his own way, but she couldn't help resenting him a bit for dismissing her opinions.

Her few past boyfriends were no different. They always decided where to go on dates, what parties to attend and what movies to watch without asking her first. If she ever showed displeasure, they either pouted like five year olds or acted annoyed at her decisions and even teased her about them.

But not her Edward.

From the first time they held hands she was part of his life. Even though it was pretty obvious from their banter that she was into him, he had asked her if it was okay to kiss her. Her answer came in the form of an almost pornographic assault on his mouth that was both delicious and inappropriate for a first kiss, but she didn't regret it. Kissing Edward was like licking heroin. After the first taste of that sinfully soft tongue she couldn't stop.

A soft groan pulled her out of her thoughts.

She looked at Edward who continued sleeping but seemed to be in pain. His eyebrows were furrowed and he tried to pull the blanket against him as if he was cold. She got up to check on him and immediately noticed he was shivering. She touched his forehead fearing a fever, but his skin was cold and he was sweating. Esme had gone to work earlier so she was alone with him. She knew he hated the nurse checks so she decided to wake him up and ask him how he was feeling instead of calling herself.

Slowly and as carefully as she could, she leaned on the bed and peppered kisses on his neck and face, hoping to wake him up slowly.

He opened his eyes and immediately she noticed a difference, He seemed to be unfocused and confused.

"Where's mom?" He asked, his voice trembling with his shivers.

"She went to work, remember?" she replied, confused at his lack of memory.

"I need to go to class," he said as he closed his eyes again.

"Honey, what's wrong? You're in the hospital remember?" She asked as she pressed the button for the nurse. There was something definitely wrong if he couldn't remember where he was.

"Tanya needs to give me back my shoes." He stated as his eyes closed again.

"I heard the call guys, what's going on?" The nurse asked as she walked in.

"There's something wrong with Edward. He is shivering and acting like he is very confused. He couldn't remember where he was and was saying stuff that made no sense," Bella explained as the nurse checked his vitals.

After a few minutes, the nurse explained that his body temperature had dropped but it was not anything worrisome and that the painkillers she had given him earlier were the likely cause of his confusion.

Bella argued that he had been on the same painkillers all along and he had never experienced confusion but the nurse assured her that while it may not happen all the time, confusion was a side effect of the medication. She promised to notify the doctor and to bring a warmed blanket to help him warm up.

While the nurse's reasoning sounded logic, Bella couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. She remembered Tanya's face during his check up and suddenly felt like there was something she was missing.

And she intended to find out.

Without any regard for Carlisle's orders to stay in bed, she put on her slippers, grabbed her IV pole and proceeded to go in search of Tanya Denali.

 **A/N: uh oh, I think someone is gonna get in trouble! What do you think is wrong with Edward?**

 **Please let me know your thoughts and suggestions. I'll see you soon!**


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